BUTTE — The annual Labor Day picnic in Butte is a family affair, but it’s also a Butte tradition.
Mike Boysza opens a giant pot of pork and beans and stirs as the food slowly cooks over a giant grill that he made himself. The grill is positioned at the entrance of the annual Labor Day picnic at Stodden Park.
Boysza may just have the most important job at the annual picnic that celebrates work done by Union members across many sectors of labor in Butte.
"I built this griddle about 20 years ago, so I’ve been doing it pretty much since then" says Boysza.
Boysza estimates he grills over 100 hotdogs for the event and that means he has likely cooked well over 20-thousand hotdogs over the past two decades. But he’s not the only one working over a hot grill today.
Closer to the pavillion where hundreds of workers and their families share food, laughter and stories, Ready Frost turns corn over a hot grill. Frost wears a navy blue shirt emblazoned with the American flag on the back. On the front of his shirt a patch that says "Western States Carpenters PAC".
"You gotta celebrate your workers and the folks that came before you and the folks that are coming after you,"
He is a member of the local Carpenter’s Union. As he roasts Mexican street corn, he says Unions give workers a good standard of living and a dignified retirement, but he adds that Unions also strengthen child labor laws.
"And their kids ain’t gonna go to the factory, or have to work, ya know, instead of getting an education," says Frost.
A microphone gets passed around between local nonprofit representatives, workers and politicians. Former Montana Tech football player, Navy veteran, and business owner, Russell Cleveland stands before the hundred or so people gathered in the shade of the pavillion.
WATCH: Butte’s annual Labor Day picnic honors working-class traditions
Cleveland recalls his days growing up in the Bitterroot Valley and shares a laugh about his college days in Butte. He shares that he signed up for the Navy here in Butte. He is currently in the running to be the US representative for Montana’s first congressional district, a position currently held by Rep. Ryan Zinke, who was not present at the event.
"In my opinion is what is missing from both sides has been a lack of focus on the core of our Montana population which is our working class and Butte knows that better than anybody. I mean, this is a union town. You know?" says Cleveland.
As he grills up the last of the corn Forst adds one more thought about why he celebrates Labor Day.
"Having our 40-hour weeks and our four and five-day working weeks – it needs to be celebrated. It can’t be forgotten. Too many people have passed on and disappeared for us to forget about it."
